About the Editor

Carlos da Silva Campos.

Professional journalist, with background on the economical press and Packaging Editor since 1982, heading independent magazines REVIPACK (packaging), REVIPLAST (plastics) and REVIPROJECT (automation).
Lawyer since 1984 and and Packaging Consultant since 1986, working for several industry associations related to packaging and recycling. Honorary Member of IPPO - the International Packaging Press Organisation. Served as Vice-President (1996-1999) and Chairman (1999-2002).

Stratus Packaging launched IXcode, a new solution to increase the security of pin numbers. Often employed today by banks, the system based on scratch-off silver inks printred over the pin numbers lays itself open to pin code theft through, for example, heating the scratch-off inks to make the number visible. Awarded a prize for innovation in the FINAT International Label Competition, Stratus Packaging’s IXcode label makes a substantial change to the structure of the label laminate that contains the pin number and anchors it to the base document. One of the laminate components constitutes a stretchable ‘tongue’, which is then covered by tiny particles of black ink. By stretching the tongue, the customer can make the pin number appear as the tiny ink particles are dispersed and disappear. The stretchable material, however, will not shrink back to its original state, and cannot be replaced, so ready evidence of tampering is available to the customer. The complex laminate – which involved extensive testing of different materials, adhesives, and inks and more than 100 hours of proving trials – effectively deters the efforts of the pin code thieves by making it impossible to conceal the fact that the label has been previously disturbed.